As a "tech-enthusiast-first / art-enthusiast-second" kind of guy, it's easy for me to get hung up on the bells and whistles of software or hardware.

For example, the few times I've played (very briefly) with Microsoft's Fresh Paint app, it's always struck me as a bit of a toy.

But in the hands of a talented and experienced artist, even the most rudimentary tool can delivery masterpieces.

Such is the case with Roz Hall, a UK digital artist who has been working with the iPad for several years. He recently began experimenting with the Surface Pro and Fresh Paint and his results are stunning.

Microsoft flew Hall and several other artists to the Surface Pro 2 launch and made them available to tech press for interviews. This is surely a sign that the tech giant sees the creative space as a big opportunity for its tablets. And that should yield some interesting, exciting dividends for all of us.

I, for one, can't wait to see the Blades equivalent of Wacom's Expresskeys.